Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-08-26
THE WHIPpERS IN.
THE ARDUOUS DUTIES OF THE ENG
.LISH PARLIAMENTARY "WHlPS."
How the Political Hounds Are Called
Together in Great Britain's Legislative
HalIs-The Serious Responsibilities of
the Party "Whip.''

Together in Great Britain's Legislative
Halls-The Serious Responsibilities OF
the Party "Whip.''
Political parties were declared by Pulte-
ney, a hundred years ago, to resemble
snakes, in the fact that their heads were
moved forward by their tails. 1t might
be invidious, perhaps, at the present day
to discuss the anatomy of our parties in
order to find out where the motive power
chiefly lies; but there can at least be little
doubt that a party without whip, or q
couple of whips, would stand very poor
chance indeed on the floor of the house Of
commons. The first lord -odf~ttdi1e treasury
may be s'absent through indisposition, !"
or the chancellor of the exchequer may
stay away from some other reason, and
there are plenty of occupants of the treas
ury bench to take their place for night.
But supposfng that both whips should be
incapacitated, who would be their substi-
tutes? No other members know half so
much about the party organization as
they do They are indispensable
they are aware of the fact
1t is quite ten years since, before the
Liberals had been so fatally split up as
they are at present, that Sir Wilfrid Law
son amused his constituents by telling
them that it was the custom of the whip
pers in Of parliament to summon their po-
itical hounds together by means of a
polite little circular, which earnestly re-
quested" the presence of each individual
member who might be counted on to vote
straight. If there was no dash under the
word earnestly" it was safe to infer,
said the honorable member for Carlisle,
that the business to which reference was
made might or might not come on that
evening One dash under the word meant
that the member summoned ought to
come. Two dashes meant that he certain
ly should come. Three undermining strokes
meant that he must come. And if the
whip had been lavish enough to waste no
fewer than four dashes on the Earnestly"
the plain significance of that was that if
the member chose to stay away he would
do so at his peril.
1t is open to question whether the use
of these marks, supposed to be so dear to
the feminine mind, beneath the summon
ing words in whips circulars have been
productive of good or harm. One obvi-
GUS result has been to cause legislators to
have very little respect for an earnest re-
quest without the accompanying symbols
of peremptoriness. If a whip were to
be asked what possible ''peril" could
be involved in a member disobeying
party command, and staying at home
when a great division was pending, he !
would no doubt reply that the peril arose
from the members own constituents,
But, for all that, members who are casual
in the parliamentary attendance or con-
frmed absentees do unquestionably go in J
terror of the remonstrances of the party !
fuglemen, apart altogether from q con-
slderation of the effect of non-voting on
the safety of their seats.
Long custom has made the rule of the
whip prescriptive one which nobody
would dispute, except when convictions
forced man to quit his party ranks and
vote for once with the opposite hosts. 1t |
is rule which is exercised with great |
tact and judgment, and which is not re-
sented. Now and then, no doubt, members |
break away from the whips; occasionally |
d statesman, like Mr.. DisraeH in his free |
lance days, refers bitterly to the party or
ganization as being too severe and dubs |
the necessity of obeying the whips s'sla- |
very" AS general rule, however, it is |
recognized that party would be all at |
sea without these officials, who work so |
silently, and whose names are not marked |
out for the fame which awaits the political |
leaders on either side.
The whip has hard fate. He leads !
irregular life, as far as late \
hours are concerned. He is expected to
rise with the lark, although he only goes
10 bed with the reporters, and when the
asst light is being extinguished in the
house of commons. Members of his party
Who are in trouble of any sort come to
him and consult him as if he were father
'onfessor. He is supposed to have kind
II 1ntultlve acquaintance with the 'feeling |
IT the party" and if he misleads the lead
rs in this respect he is made to repent the |
,lunder In parliamentary sackcloth. I'm
Ter all possible irritations he is expected
o keep his temper, to have a nod or q
word ready for everybody, and to smile
ike an angel, even if kept up by an all
light sitting and racked with toothache.
Inquire within upon everything con-
lected with the game of politics." ought
o be inscribed in letters of gold round a
Whips coat collar.
Now, what is the guerdon for all this
isplay of civic virtue? The virtue in
his case, as in most cases, is it's own re-
yard, and the whip gets no pecuniary So
atlum whatever. He takes his salary in
he esteem of his brother members, and
4 the consciousness that he is playing an
part In the political arena. No |
ooner are the doors of the house thrown
7ide, and the division bell sounded, than
e is to be seen making his way rapidly
D the front benches, there to receive in
as to which lobby his party is
. go into, and other important matters.
lie is expected to have some mesmeric
lfiuence over members, so as to ''keep a
ouse." More than that, when there is
anger of the cloture being needed, he has
, keep such house as was never dreamed
In the good old fashioned days, for he
responsible for having no fewer than
w supporters in attendance, in the
brary, smoking room, dining room or
'bby, ready to ''pounce' when Mr.. Smith
ives the WORD. london Telegraph.
Getting Acquainted.
HWhu I did NOT knn1sr ffn t rro1a n,,a | i.